Latch mechanism



Dec. 4, 1951 F, SWARD 2,576,978

- LATCH MECHANISM Filed Aug. 17, 1948 lNVE/VTOR I DIELBERT F. dram/w Patented Dec. 4, 1 951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LATCH MECHANISM Delbert F. Sward, Freeport, Ill., assignor to Rockwell Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 17, 1948, Serial No. 44,729

M Claims.

The present invention relates to closure locking and operating mechanism and more particularly to locking mechanism adapted to positively break a freezer door loose during the opening thereof.

It is a common occurrence for doors or 010- sures to become stuck in their closed position and this is particularly true with respect to freezer doors. Such freezer doors are usually equipped with a resilient sealing element of material such as rubber, plastic or the like, which freezes tightly to the closure frame and Which should be broken loose without injury to the sealing element.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide latching mechanism which will break closures loose from frost or ice seals which often prevent the closure from being opened by ordinary means.

It is another object of this invention to provide a latching mechanism designed to positively displace the closure with respect to the frame during the opening operation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a cam member on the latch of a closure locking mechanism which will urge the closure away from the frame member with sufficient force to break any frost or ice seal which tends to hold the door closed.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an efficient locking and seal breaking mechanism of simple construction and which can be economically manufactured.

Further objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the appended claims and attached drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a preferred embodiment of a latching and seal breaking mechanism made in accordance with this invention, with part of the plunger housing partially broken away;

Figure 2 is top plan view, partially in section, of the mechanism of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the mechanism of Figure 1 with a portion of the latch and keeper broken away.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like parts, the door locking mechanism indicated generally at H! consists of a handle H, housing member or bracket I2, plunger 13, latch l4, latch support or bracket I 5, cam follower I1 and keeper l8.

Housing I2 is secured to closure 19 of frame 20 by any suitable means such as screws 2| and bolt 22. Outwardly projecting cars 23 are formed on housing [2 and handle It is pivotally mounted between ears 23 on pin 24. A finger 26 is integrally formed on handle H and extends through opening 21 in housing l2.

Plunger I3 is slidably mounted in holes 28 and 29 provided in housing I2 and has an opening 3| formed in the central portion thereof to receive the finger 2B of handle II. The outer end of plunger i3 is formed with a slot 32 and has drilled holes 33 therein transverse of slot 32.

End portion 34 of latch member [4 is received in slot 32 and mounted on a pin 35 which extends through holes 33in plunger [3 and through a slot 36 in end 34. Latch member I4 is rotatably mounted in bracket IE on a pin 31 and has a curved hook like end 38 that engages a mating hook portion on keeper l8 when the door is in its closed position. An extension or cam arm 39 integrally formed on latch member I4 is positioned between ears 4| of bracket l6.

Bracket I6 is secured to closure member l9 by means of screws 42 and the base 43 is cut away to form a recess 44 into which the end of cam arm 39 projects, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. One of the ears 4! of bracket l6 has an extension which acts as a stop for cam follower [1.

Cam follower I1 is pivotally mounted on bracket It by pin 45. The end of cam follower ll, which is mounted in bracket [6, has an outwardly projecting stop arm 46 which contacts extension 44 of bracket ear 4| and keeps it in 1 its operable position when the closure is open.

A cam surface 41 is provided on cam arm I! and its angle of inclination with respect to the edge of the door determines the amount of movement obtainable between door l9 and frame member 20 by movement of the latch member 14; The outer end of cam follower ll has an adjustment screw 48 threaded therein and the end of screw 48 rests on post 49 of keeper [8. Keeper I8 is fastened to frame 20 by screws 5|.

When a door or closure I9 of a refrigeration unit is closed, ice or frost frequently forms or frost about seal 52 and permit the closure to be readily opened.

The amount of movement between the closure and frame required to break such an ice or frost seal depends in part upon the over-all height of the door and its flexibility. In the present case a maximum amount of movement has been provided to. break the, ice or frost; seal on the average length door. Two of such locking and seal breaking mechanisms could of course be spaced equally from the ends of extremely long or high doors or the cam arm can be designed to effect greater movement between the door and closure member.

While devices having the. general intended purpose of breaking sealed doors have been known in the past, as for instance that shown in Patent 2,002,304 to Wasberg, my device is more positive and yet easier to operate, as well as being of simplified construction.

The invention may be embodied in other speclfic forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the ap- P sd d c a ms rathe th n b th for n r riinni and all cha es. w c m within he meani g a d ran o e i al nc o e laim here ore, n end d embrac d therein.

What s l med and ir t be Se u d b nit s a et rs a ent 2 s w-r s ne lieu-he; a k epe apte to be mimics, ad a e d sf the os mem er: a atch and serai ns e n m qqm risins a latc l ment m unt d on e o ure, mem r in. position tq en age e keeper to secure the closuremember in closed position and having a closure opening portion integral therewith; a latch operating handle mounted on said closure member; a lever pivotal mounted on said closure. adjacent said latch ele: ment and adapted in closed position of said closure member. to overlie a portion of said keeper; and means connecting said latch element and handle and adapted to move said latch element from latched relation with said keeper and force said closure opening portion against said lever to effect initial opening movement of said door.

2. In a closure fastener having a keeper secured to a frame surrounding said closure opening: a latch and seal breaker mechanism comprising a housing secured to a closure for the frame; a handle movably mounted on said housing; a plunger slidably mounted in said housing and connected to said handle for operation thereby; said plunger having one end thereof extending out or said housing, a latch member secured to the outwardly extending end of said plunger, the other end of said latch member being designed to engage said keeper, a bracket secured to the same closure as said housing and pivotally mounting said latch member on said closure, a seal breaker cam movable with said latch member and carried by said closure, a cam follower pivotally secured to said bracket and having a portion engageable with said keeper to. force said closure away from said keeper when said handle is operated to rotate and disengage said latch member from said keeper.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said seal breaker cam is an integral part of said latch member and comprises a leg paralleling the latching portion of said latch member and said keeper is positioned to be received between said leg and said latching portion.

4. In a mechanism for releasably securing a movable closure to a wall member having an opening therein and including a keeper mounted thereon: a housing adapted to be secured to the closure; an element reciprocably mounted in said housing; a handle movably mounted on said housing and connected to said element to. move it with respect to said housing; a bracket adapted to be mounted on the closure, a latch pivoted on said bracket, said latch being pivotally connected to said element so that movement of said element causes pivotal movement of said latch; a seal breaker -cam mounted for pivotal movement around the pivotal axis of said latch on said bracket and adapted to be actuated by said latch; an element pivotally connected to said closure and upon which said seal breaker cam acts to cheat pivotal movement of said element into engagement with said keeper to force the door away from the wall member after said latch moves out of engagement with said keeper.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein the axis of said pivotal connection of said latch member and said bracket is located in a plane normal to the plane of said leg and latching portion and ex tending between them and said leg is shorter than said latching portion whereby said latching portion moves completely out of the path of said keeper before the camrning actuation of said leg and follower is eifective to force said closure away from said frame.

DELBERT F. SWARD.

asre esmcns CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,222,396 Hagstrom Apr. 10 1917 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 406,8'11 Great Britain Mar. 8, 1934 

